


Six Lives Dinah Never Lived

by zarabithia



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-16
Updated: 2007-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-20 20:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14901218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: The JSA takes care of their own.





	Six Lives Dinah Never Lived

**Title:** Taking Care of Her Own, PG-13  
The Justice Society of America took care of their own. And Wonder Woman never turned her back on her responsibilities.

Even if it had been years since Hippolyta had worn that mantle, once a Wonder Woman always a Wonder Woman.

So it came to be, in the aftermath of the death of Black Canary and Larry Lance, that the woman who had been the Amazons' champion and Queen, stood watching the youngest of the JSA family, huddled in a ball next to Hippolyta's daughter on the beach of Paradise Island. They sat just out of reach of the waves, the water never touching Diana's gowns, but occasionally washing over the rebellious skinned knees of the young girl beside her.

Young Dinah would learn the art of avoiding the waves in time, just as she would learn the other ways of her Amazon sisters.

Hippolyta had no doubt that Dinah would one day return to Man's World, where she belonged, and if the stubbornness on her face could be read correctly, she would return to continue her parents' legacy.

During her stay on their island, Hippolyta was determined to teach the child skills enough that she would not follow her parents' failures as well so that no further orphans might need to seek solace on her island.  


 

 **Title:** Was Mine; Now Yours, PG  
The white in her grandson’s costume matched the strands of hair above Dinah’s ears, and the first time he showed up, nervously, proudly, at her feet to flaunt his new costume to his "favorite" grandma, the only thing Dinah could focus on while he chattered away in the speedster speak he’d gained from his father and grandfather, was how very much his nose looked liked Barry’s.

When he was done sharing every detail of his adventure, Dinah reached in the pocket of her sweater and withdrew the one possession she had continued to draw strength from in the years since Barry’s death.

"Your grandfather’s Flash ring," Dinah announced as her wrinkled hands pressed the precious object into the teenager’s smoother one.

"Wow." The teen stood perfectly still for what Dinah was sure was the first time in his short life for a full two seconds, before speedster impulses kicked back in. "But, Grandma, I’mnotaFlashmaybeIshouldn’tweartheringwhatwillWallyandMaxandJaythink?"

"It wasn’t their ring to decide what to do with," Dinah answered smoothly, smiling down at the boy who took a moment to slide the ring on his hand before his arms were instantly wrapped around her waist in a hug.. "It was Barry’s. Then it was mine. Now it’s yours."

Dinah received one more hug from her grandson before Impulse ran out her door.

 

 **Title:** Legacies, PG-13  


Being the child of a criminal and a cop, Dinah had spent her entire life choosing between them. Her father had tried so hard to be the good, stable influence in her life, so that she might one day follow his footsteps. And really, he'd done everything that a good father should. He'd attended every parent-teacher conference, shown up to every school function, and provided her with every toy and heart desire she'd expressed, from baby dolls to ballet lessons.

In the end, they'd all been for naught, as Dinah chose her mother's world over her father's. All the parental good intentions Larry Lance had fell to the wayside - well, with the possible exceptions of the dancing lessons. Having dancer's legs really only accentuated the overall intended effect of her mother's costume.

That was something even her archnemesis couldn't help but scope out as he gave her the same kind of standard hero speech that his predecessor had given her mother numerous times.

Honestly, if the _first_ Flash couldn't convince her mother to give up her life of crime, what made the Imposter Flash hope to convince the new, improved version of Black Canary to join the side of angels?

If her own father hadn't been able to convince her that the pros outweighed the cons of being a "good guy," some silly stranger in really tight spandex wasn't going to be able to, even if that spandex did cover a very _nice_ set of abs that promised a good time to be had with Mr. Incredible Vibrating Man. Had they met under different circumstances, Dinah was sure she readily would have delighted in getting to know each and every one of the ripples beneath his costume.

But the Black Canary was the sworn enemy of The Flash. That was as much a part of Dinah's heritage as the fishnets she wore.

 

 **Title:** Debt, R  


It must have taken a lot of courage for the kid to come crawling back to her. Either that or a _lot_ of stupidity.

"You still owe me five hundred bucks, kid," Dinah said simply to the whimpering child at her feet. No, not a child. Brat was a hell of a lot older than she'd been when her bitch of a mother had kicked her out on the streets. Bright -eyed and freckled-faced didn't have a single reason to be so pathetic.

She told him so with a good kick to the ribs.

"C-can take you up on your offer. I can sell for you. Or-or anything you want."

"Anything I want until I hand over the stash," Dinah answered unsympathetically. "Then all my high quality smack goes directly into your junkie ass."

" _Please,_ Miss Lance," the brat begged, as though she _didn't_ have a reputation for being a ice cold bitch. "I -I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Cry me a river, kid. For all I care, you can sleep here in this alley. Luckily, for you, however, I _do_ care about the $500 that you owe me."

"You'll let me sell?" Kid sounded so hopeful that Dinah had to resist the urge to kick him in the ribs again. Maybe she was getting soft in her old age, but she did feel a twinge run through her at the way the brat was shaking with need for the drug she'd so successfully introduced him to. Her sympathy - and _maybe_ the memory of when she herself had been so spineless and worthless, back before she'd made a name for herself - allowed her to offer the kid a way out.

Well, that, and she really didn't like being cheated out of the money she was due.

"Fuck no. I'm not letting you near my stash when you're in such clear need of a fix." Dinah reached down and hauled the kid to his feet. "But there are plenty of regulars who come around looking for a bit more than smack. Pretty boy like you'll do 'em nicely. Can earn your keep _and_ my $500 while you get the smack out of your system. Afterward, if you behave yourself, _maybe_ I'll let you deal for me."

The kid only hesitated for a minute. "Okay, Miss Lance," he finally said, agreeing to a life of being whored out, strung out, and wanted by the law.

"Welcome to my life, Harper," Dinah said as they walked into the place she was staying this week. "If you're lucky, you'll die during the withdrawals."

She wouldn't be surprised if he did, actually. Kid wasn't much of a fighter.

 

 

 **Title:** Not According to Plan  


"Oh, come _on."_ Eighteen-year-old Dinah turned to scowl at her Uncle Ted for having the audacity to bring her to the _Teen Titans'_ lair. The training room in this place was smaller than the _bathroom_ had been at the old JSA headquarters. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?" The former boxer crossed his arms and glared right back at his adopted niece. "The Titans need an adult influence, and you need more training before you hit the streets by yourself, Hellcat."

Dinah bristled at the reprimand. "I do _not._ There's not a thug in Gotham I can't take down by myself."

"Maybe so. Unfortunately for us, you have a tendency to try to tackle a whole gang of Gotham thugs by yourself. And you _aren't_ ready for that yet, Junior."

"I don't need your permission. Or Uncle Alan or Uncle Jay's." She hadn't needed _her mother's,_ after all. She certainly could live without her uncles' approval. "Mom was younger than me when she was in the JSA. _She_ didn't need to babysit a bunch of circus freaks on the way to the big time, and neither should I!" Her voice might have wobbled, and so too might have the windows of the lair. Both she and Uncle Ted pretended not to notice.

"My mistake. Here we thought you wanted to be an actual _hero_."

"I do!"

"Being a hero is about doing what's right, not getting the glory or the easiest ride along the way. And what's right in this case is you need more training and these kids need a mentor."

Well, that settled why Uncle Ted had been the one to bring here. None of the rest of her uncles could do a guilt trip _half_ as well.

Dinah's scowl deepened as she turned back towards the glass separating the kids in question from them. Aqualad was concentrating awfully hard on a bowl of water - great, useful teammate _he_ was going to be - while Kid Flash ducked Speedy's exploding arrows. Swell. If she had to deal with a visit from that condescending Green Arrow creep who seemed _incapable_ of not calling her "little bird," because his sidekick was on her team, she was going to _hero_ the bastard right square in the balls.

Wonder Girl and Supergirl seemed to be taking turns throwing Robin back and forth in the air. Fabulous. "I hope someone informed Supergirl and Robin that they are _not_ in charge," Dinah muttered under her breath.

"I'll leave that up to you," Uncle Ted answered, with a pat on the back. "Good luck, Junior."

Dinah sighed one more time, then squared her shoulders, and walked into the training room.

It was time to greet her team.

 

 

 **Title:** The Cat and the Canary  


Dinah fell back into the bed next to her partner, still holding the wad of cash her first successful steal had earned. "Wow." She couldn't help the breathless exclamation. "This is more money than I've ever _seen."_

 __Selina yawned, and stroked Isis' fur lazily as the latter stretched and dug her claws into sheets which had cost more than Dinah's father could afford in _rent for a whole year_ at his police job. "Really, kitten, I know you're happy, but you sound like an amateur."

"Sorry .. it's just... I haven't felt this secure since before Mom died." Dinah's voice lowered, as it always did whenever she spoke of those years. She didn't remember them very well; they were as hazy as the details of the accident that had taken away every member of the so-called selfless Justice Society of America (Dinah had a bit of a problem calling a group that took away children's mothers self _less.)_ But she remembered clearly the depression her father had entered afterward, and every one of the dollars that had gone into his liquid cure all that should have gone into taking care of his house and daughter.

She'd told him that, once. And the resulting black eye had made her leave behind the four walls that had stopped being home the day the first Dinah died.

Fortunately, she'd found Selina, who was just as lonely, for entirely different reasons. "Stick with me, kitten," Selina murmured, curling a protective arm around Dinah's waist. "And the only worry you'll have is what to buy with all the dough our jobs rake in."

"Mm. And Batman," Dinah added, snuggling even closer.

"Oh, that creature," Selina scoffed. "He's no match for the Cat and the Canary. Not when we work together."

 _Together._ Dinah really liked the sound of that.  



End file.
